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Adam Rose
| birth_place = Johannesburg, South Africa | death_date = | death_place = | resides = | billed = | trainer = FCW Staff Paul Lloyd Sr. | debut = 1998 | retired = }} Raymond Leppan (July 20, 1979) is an South African professional wrestler, who is currently signed by World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE) under a development deal and is in its developmental territory Florida Championship Wrestling (FCW), where he competed under the ring name of Adam Rose. He was part of the sixth season of NXT. He is now part of the main roster since he debuted on May the 5th episode of RAW. Professional wrestling career South Africa Leppan debuted as a professional wrestler at the age of 16. He worked in South Africa with Paul Lloyd Jr., known as the tag team Pure Juice. He also wrestled as "Dameon Duke" in World Wrestling Professionals. While there, Duke won the WWP World Heavyweight Championship by defeating Tornado in 2007 and lost it to Fury the following year. World Wrestling Entertainment Developmental Territories (2010-2014) After Leppan's United States work visa cleared, he was able to debut in Florida Championship Wrestling (FCW) under his real name on 25 February 2010, in a losing effort against Curt Hawkins. Two weeks later, Leppan was defeated by Eli Cottonwood. The following week, Leppan changed his ring name to "Leo Kruger", chosen as a tribute to his relative and former President of South Africa Paul Kruger, before losing to Johnny Curtis. On 18 March, Kruger picked up his first win since joining FCW by defeating Jacob Novak. At the television tapings on 20 May, Kruger challenged the former Paul Lloyd, Jr. and fellow South African wrestler, Justin Gabriel to a match. At the television tapings on 10 June, Kruger lost to Gabriel, but in a rematch on 1 July, Kruger reversed the result. In mid-2010, Kruger formed a team with Derrick Bateman, known as The Handsome Man Express. The duo challenged Los Aviadores (Hunico and Epico) for the FCW Florida Tag Team Championship on 2 July, but were unsuccessful. On 8 July, Kruger teamed with Tyler Reks to challenge Los Aviadores again for the championship, but was unsuccessful. Kruger then went on a winning streak, defeating Big E. Langston, Bateman, Austin Watson, Husky Harris, and Wes Brisco, before finally losing in a mixed tag team match, when he and Kaitlyn lost to Brad Maddox and Jamie Keyes on 9 September. Kruger's final match in 2010 was at the television tapings on 23 September, when he lost to Bo Rotundo. Following the match, Kruger lost feeling in his arm, and it was discovered that he had broken his neck. While recuperating, Kruger became a commentator for the FCW television program. After Bo Rotundo was injured in September 2011, his FCW Florida Heavyweight Championship was vacated and a tournament set up to determine the new champion. Kruger defeated Percy Watson to make it to the final, a fatal four-way match against Husky Harris, Damien Sandow, and Dean Ambrose. Kruger won the match and the championship, his first in FCW. Kruger then appeared in dark matches prior to the SmackDown television tapings on 20 and 27 September, losing to Trent Barreta and defeating Johnny Curtis respectively. Kruger successfully defended the championship against Harris on the 24 October episode of FCW television and on the 14 November episode of FCW television, Kruger defeated Harris and Richie Steamboat in a triple threat match to retain the FCW Florida Heavyweight Championship. On the 18 December episode of FCW television, Kruger successfully defended the championship against Seth Rollins, after interference from Antonio Cesaro. In late December 2011, Kruger appeared at several WWE house shows, losing to Alex Riley on 27 and 28 December. On 30 December, he teamed with Riley and Mason Ryan to defeat Tyler Reks, Curt Hawkins, and JTG in a six-man tag team match at a Raw brand house show. On 2 February 2012, Kruger lost the FCW Florida Heavyweight Championship to Mike Dalton. He regained the championship from Dalton three weeks later on 23 February, but lost it that same night to Seth Rollins. When WWE rebranded its developmental territory, FCW, into NXT Wrestling, Kruger's NXT television debut took place on the second episode of the rebooted WWE NXT taped at Full Sail University, where he defeated Aiden English. On the 1 August episode of NXT, Kruger was inserted into the Gold Rush Tournament to crown the first NXT Champion, where he was defeated by Richie Steamboat in the quarter-finals. In September, Kruger's character was tweaked into that of a deranged hunter and mercenary. In December, Kruger formed an alliance with Kassius Ohno; Kruger and Ohno defeated Tyson Kidd and Justin Gabriel on the 2 January 2013 episode of NXT. On the 16 January episode of NXT, Kruger defeated Trent Baretta. On the 30 January episode of NXT, Ohno and Kruger entered the NXT Tag Team Championship Tournament to crown the inaugural champions and defeated Alex Riley and Derrick Bateman in the first round. On the 6 February episode of NXT, Kruger and Ohno were defeated by Adrian Neville and Oliver Grey in the semi-finals. Kruger then moved on to feud with Justin Gabriel when he attempted to attack Gabriel's injured partner, Tyson Kidd; Kruger won the series of matches 2-1. Kruger next set his sights on Bo Dallas's NXT Championship. On the 18 July NXT, Kruger won a triple threat match against Sami Zayn and Antonio Cesaro to become number one contender. On 7 August, Kruger fought Dallas for NXT Championship, but lost. Kruger eventually feuded with Zayn with the feud culminated in Zayn winning a two-out-of-three falls match on the 1 January 2014 NXT. Rose's last feud in NXT was with Camacho who was not supportive of Rose or his Exotic Express; going as far as to attack his "Rosebuds" after matches. Though one of his entourage was defeated in action against Camacho; Rose secured the victory and redemption at NXT Takeover with the Party Foul. Adam Rose and the Exotic Express (2014-present) Leppan was then removed from television and he began wrestling under a new character of "Adam Rose" at house shows. As Rose, he returned to television on the March 6, 2014 episode of NXT, with his new character being an organizer of parties with various colorful costumed party-goers, who accompany him during his ring entrance. From the post-WrestleMania Raw on April 7, WWE aired introductory vignettes for Rose. Rose made his main roster debut on the May 5 episode of Raw, interrupting Zeb Colter and Jack Swagger. Rose continued to distract Swagger during his matches, leading to Swagger losing. Rose wrestled his first Raw match on the May 26 episode of Raw in a winning effort against Damien Sandow. During the match Swagger and Colter interfered, holding one of Rose's party members hostage. Rose saved his friend after winning the match despite the distraction. Rose defeated Swagger on the May 30 episode of SmackDown and the June 2 episode of Raw. Rose has gone unbeaten since his first appearance on the main roster. Rose made his first pay-per-view appearance at Money in the Bank where he defeated Damien Sandow. Championships and accomplishments *'World Wrestling Professionals' **WWP World Heavyweight Championship (1 time) External links * WWE.com Profile * Profile *Leo Kruger profile at GENICKBRUCH.com Category:World Wrestling Entertainment current roster Category:WWE NXT current roster Category:Florida Championship Wrestling alumni Category:1998 debuts Category:FCW Florida Heavyweight Champions Category:1979 births Category:South African wrestlers